To celebrate the beginning of the summer, my friend threw a party and served this amazing summer salad. When I asked her how she made it, she said that she basically threw together some ingredients that were in her fridge. The salad was very fresh and juicy and like a fusion of a greek and fruit salad. It is one of the best salads that I’ve had in a long time and I will be definitely taking this to my next bbq.

Last weekend I went to the annual Greek Days celebration on West Broadway in Vancouver. I mark the yearly event on my calendar and save my appetite for the delicious goodies that are for sale. As the years have gone by, there has been a huge increase in vegetarian options available. Last year, I tried the veggie gyros which was a disappointment so I decided to start my culinary pilgrimage at the Malaysian restaurant, the Banana Leaf. The had two vegetarian options: the roti canai ($2.75) and vegetable spring rolls ($2.75/2 pieces), so I bought both. They were both delicious though a little hard to eat while standing up.

The next item on my agenda was dessert and specifically, the greek donuts loukoumades ($4).

These golf ball sized pastries are made fresh and fried right on the side of the street. When they turn golden brown in colour, they are placed into a colander to allow the excess oil to drain.

Next, they are gently rolled and bobbed in a sweet sugar syrup.

When you order your donuts, they are scooped into a container and sprinkled with roasted sesame seeds. Each bite of the donut was heaven. The donut was not too doughy nor too sweet and the sesame seeds added a nice savoury touch.

After I ate my donuts, I was quite full and continued on my journey. I tried a greek salad, ate some olives and drooled over another person’s greek fries. By the time I left, I was so full and surprised at all the number of veggie options that were available this year. Overall it was a great food adventure and next year I will go with a couple of companions so that I can try all the veggie items.